The pastor at a baptist church where I attend said that with the tribulation drawing closer we had to increase our effort to get people saved, because those not believing will end up in Hell. By Hell, he actually meant the Lake of Fire. They are not the same place, but they often are used synonymously as if they were. By saved, he meant saved into the Church. Time is indeed growing short to get out gospel message before the tribulation, but many people will still be saved afterward.
I am quite aware that many Christians hold the position that all not getting saved into the Church will go to Hell (Hades). However, saying they will go to Hell is not the same as saying they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Some Christians think that since these people did not hear or believe the gospel while they lived, they will not attain the first resurrection, and thus will be judged at the second resurrection, where people are judged according to their works. And since Christians believe that none are made righteous through their works; they jump to the conclusion that all judged at the second resurrection are cast into the Lake of Fire. I don’t see where that is taught in the scripture.
The Bible says that the Lake of Fire was created for the Devil and His angels. The Bible illustrates that God planted seed on the earth. God does not make mistakes. I think it is safe therefore to assume, that none of the seed that God planted on earth will be among those damned in the Lake of Fire. In other words, all those predestined to be saved before the foundation of the earth, will be saved. All of the wheat that God planted are inherently in the book of life. The Devil has his own seed, and since they are not of God, they never were written in the book of life. These will be cast into the Lake of Fire after the White Throne Judgment. The parable of the wheat and tares illustrates this (Mt 13 24-30).
Jesus came to save what was lost. God’s seed (also know as the elect) will hear and believe when they are adequately presented the truth. Even so, I cannot rule out that some may not get to find out the truth about Jesus before they die. Peter even says that the gospel was also preached to the dead so they could live according to God in the Spirit (1Pe 4:6). Those without ears to hear when they are told the gospel are those blinded by Satan because they are not of God.
Christians get confused because everything in scripture is not talking about the Church and the Church Age that began at Pentecost. Since Pentecost we are in the Age of Grace where believers in Jesus receive the spirit of God and become new creations in Christ. This is the Bride that God is preparing for Jesus. She is to rule and reign with Him in the coming Kingdom on earth. The blood bought Bride gets married to Jesus while the great tribulation is playing out on earth and she returns with Him.
Humans of Old Testament times were never given such grace to become one with Jesus. The faithful of prior ages will be resurrected and come in the Kingdom as friends of the Groom. John the Baptist said he was a friend of the bridegroom (Joh 3:29). Jesus also spoke of his apostles as being friends of the bridegroom (Mt 9:15). Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest born of women, but all born into new spiritual life from above are greater than John (Mt 11:11).
This amazing grace to become one with Christ apparently also will not be given in the Kingdom Age either, since the Bride is complete at that time. Are we then to assume that all who lived on earth but did get saved into the Bride Church are to be judged to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire? I do not think the Bible teaches any such thing.
The first resurrection is already over at the beginning of Kingdom Age (Rev 20:5). Mortals living through the Kingdom Age clearly do not take part in the first resurrection, but they will not all be cast into the Lake of Fire. These mortal humans were not raised at the first resurrection to receive eternal bodies, so they will be raised at the second resurrection to receive eternal bodies. God is not having Jesus and the Church rule over a Kingdom Age just so all living in it can populate the Lake of Fire. We would have done a miserable job of ruling and reigning with Christ, if that were the case.
The truth is that those raised in the first resurrection become the leadership for the Kingdom Age. The Bible clearly says this in Re 20:6, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years“. That gives those receiving the reward to rule over cities literal meaning in the Kingdom Age (Lu 19:17).
The Kingdom Age does not add to the Bride Church because Jesus is already one with His Bride before it begins. Those ruling and reigning with Christ will be ruling over mortals when conditions for mortals on earth are so ideal that a population explosion occurs like the world has never seen before.
I think the earth will be supporting over a hundred billion people by the end of the Kingdom Age. Those that abstain the first resurrection are probably just a tithe. They are the first fruits of humans. Many others ultimately will be given eternal life after the Kingdom Age plays out.
The mortals living in the Kingdom Age will not be saved by grace through faith because that ends with the completion of the Bride Church. In fact, only believing mortals enter the Kingdom Age. God pours out His spirit on all flesh as the Kingdom begins (Joe 2:28). All living in the Kingdom Age will therefore have full knowledge of the Lord. For this reason those living during the Kingdom Age will be judged (evaluated) according to their works. That is not the same as saying they are justified (saved) through their works. Everyone of all ages are saved by faith (trusting in God’s righteousness to save them). Judgment according to works for believers just means determining what they did with what God gave them.
Uniquely in this Age of Grace that started at Pentecost for those trusting in God’s Son, His righteousness is imputed to us. We who believe have our sins paid for and we are spiritually born of the Holy Spirit. That happens because we become one with Christ. That is not true for all in all ages. It is only for the Bride of Christ.
All humans will be evaluated according to their good or bad deeds on earth. Jesus said as much. Even so, the Bride becomes one flesh with Christ. Therefore, she is without fault and is given eternal life with Christ. The Bride’s deeds in her body of flesh will only be judged on the basis of awards or awards not given.
Those not attaining the first resurrection will also be evaluated by their deeds at the second resurrection. The works that are written in the books that are opened do not save them. They display to the angels what kind of trees they are. A good tree does not continually bear rotten fruit. The angels will cast the rotten trees into the Lake of Fire where the Devil and His angels were cast.
The very words of Jesus in the four gospels say as much. Those doing good will obtain eternal life, and those doing evil will receive eternal condemnation. You will know a tree by its fruit. The good seed of God are doing good works, and if they sin they repent and are forgiven. The evil seed becomes trees with rotten fruit, and they never repent. It is these that will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Jesus words in the gospels clearly establish the rules for living in the Kingdom Age on earth. We should not confuse unmerited grace during this Church Age with the requirements for humans living in past ages or the Kingdom Age to come. In the Kingdom Age, God pours out His Spirit on all flesh, so they have full knowledge of God. They will be without excuse for continually doing evil in the Kingdom. The OT also teaches that righteous men do good works and evil men do what is evil, so this is not a new concept. God is not changing anything He previously said just because he gives unmerited grace to those who will be the Bride of Christ. The Church should not think that all that was said in the OT and the words of Jesus in the four gospels are now done away with.
Those living in the Kingdom Age that reject the rules of the Kingdom do it willfully. They become like the Scribes and the Pharisees that Jesus railed against. The unpardonable sin is rejecting God’s Messiah and His Kingdom after the truth was displayed. Only the bad seed who are evil and will not repent of their sins, will be cast into the Lake of Fire created for the Devil and his angels. Jesus identified this seed as tares and children of the Wicked One (Mt 13:38).
After the restoration of all things, the Lamb’s wife (the Church) will live in the Holy City described in Revelation 21 and 22. The Holy City is clearly distinct from the New Earth. So why also create a new earth if nobody is going to live on it? Common sense should tell us that there will be a great multitude of people dwelling on the New Earth. Many, if not most of those that do not attain the first resurrection will be judged worthy to obtain eternal life and they will occupy the New Earth. That also probably includes billions of souls in the pre-flood world.
This view that those of God are to be saved even apart from being part of the Bride Church, answers the questions about those that never heard the Gospel of Christ, or those who were too feeble-minded to understand. People wonder about all the babies that never had the chance to even be born? Obviously these humans never had the chance to become one Spirit with Jesus by trusting in Him. If you can get into the Bride Church by just being innocent of doing evil, You would be better off dying before you reached the age of accountability.
By the way, all humans have original sin. None in the fallen flesh nature of Adam are sinless. Only the last Adam was born sinless and that is because he was not born of the seed of Adam, He came from God. Yet, to say that created beings through no fault of their own were all created only to be cast into the Lake of Fire just makes God look like an ogre. The NT Church tends to believe that everything is about her, so they come up with broad-bush condemnations for those outside the Church.
Humans of God were created to be imagers of God on earth. Jesus illustrated that God planted wheat on the earth. The tare counterfeits were sowed by the Devil to oppose and confuse what God created the imagers for. The tares want to appear like imagers of God but their evil deeds show that they are imagers of Satan. Anyone that God created to image Himself on earth is inherently in the book of life. They will not be cast into the Lake of Fire. Only the children of the Devil will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
Apparently the wheat is about one-half the human population on earth. We see that in many illustrations starting with Cain and Able, to Issac and Ishmael, to Jesus saying from now on He brings division on earth with 3 against 2 and 2 against 3 in each household (Lk 12:51). The division is between the sons of light and the sons of darkness. In addition, there will be a great rebellion against the Sons of Light at the end of the Kingdom Age.
God is just. Nobody is going to be cast into the Lake of Fire just because they never heard or understood the gospel of grace through faith in His Son. Jesus died and arose so people of God given to Him could be born into His new creation to rule and reign with Him in the coming Kingdom Age.
The first fruits raised at the first resurrection are only a part of the story. These will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years over mortals that grow in numbers to become like the sand at the sea shore. Many who lived on earth but did not attain the first resurrection will be given eternal life to live on God’s new earth created after the final rebellion and the second resurrection.
Those not hearing and believing in this age do not rise in the first resurrection, but all remaining will take part in the second resurrection. At that time, the books will be opened and eternal destinies of believers and unbelievers will be determined according to what is written in the books. The Book of Life will then be opened, and those not found in it will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Only the Devil, his angels, and those not written in the Book of Life (the tares) will be cast in the Lake of Fire. The rest are either believers who attained the first resurrection and dwell in the Holy City or they are believers of the second Resurrection who dwell on the New Earth.
There truly is a distinction between the Bride and others. In Matthew, the parable of the 10 virgins shows this. These cannot be the Bride, they are clearly labeled the Bridesmaids. Five of them are told by Jesus “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” That is because the Age of Grace has passed. The Rapture has taken the Bride away to prepare for the wedding and those on earth are in the tribulation period. The Age of Grace is a special period and we who believe are so blessed to be part of it. Those after the rapture, can fall away. We cannot because we are children of God. Those after the rapture must live by staying in fellowship with God. Come LORD Jesus!
Don, thank you for this. I kinda shy away from reading revelation due to me not being able to understand the finer details. I tend to reread the gospel of John over and over. I know that this age is ending soon, and I know there is additional evil (perhaps the anit-christ), but the revelatory details in the text are just not decipherable on my own. Therefore I very much appreciate your work.
I’m curious about what exactly occurs after the 1000 years when we are tempted again. I’ve always been week, so I would like to understand that a bit more.
Hi Robert,
Understanding the book of Revelation is not rocket science. You might read my Revelation commentary. You can find it from the top bar.
After the thousand years, Satan is let out of the Abyss and deceives many of the children born during the Kingdom Age. I suppose Satan deceives them into believing they are all Gods and they do not need the Saints ruling over them.
Humans living in their fallen flesh even under perfect conditions will still prove that they will choose evil. God will then judge the world, remove the curse and the fallen nature will no longer exist in His creation.
Hello Don and everyone. Nice example of global warming huh as north pole weather sets in. I agree Don but have a question on Matthew 10:28 is this annihalation? Also Ezekiel 28:18,19. Is this Satan annihalated? How is Satan tormented forever (Revelation 20:10) and also Ezekiel says he is turned to ash and will be no more?
Hi, Don,
At the present moment, I do not see a 50/50 between wheat and tares.
I am guess the half wheat / half tares percentage is during the Kingdom dispensation?
I know many (youth) living today will be saved after the rapture / during the tribulation.
If you can elaborate, that would be greatly appreciated.
// Blessings, Craig
Hi Toby,
The Bible does not teach annihilation. Jesus is talking about the second death. Death in the Bible is not synonymous with non existence. Since we are created eternal, death in the Bible is separation. In the first death we are separated from our bodies but our soul still exist. In the second death our souls are separated from God but they still exist.
I think Ezekiel 28: 18,19 is just saying Satan will go into destruction and will not exist on the earth anymore. You might read other versions. The Septuagint translation especially reflects what I said.
Rev 14:11 & Re 20:10 indicates their torment will be forever.
Hi Craig,
You see less than a 50/50 percentage because you are only counting the Bride Church. The Bride is not all that gets saved even during the Church Age. Ninety percent of those now identifying as Christians have not been born from above. Just ask them! When the Bride is removed in the Rapture then it will become demonstrated that about half remaining to go through the tribulation will not worship the Beast. This is the great multitude that came out of the tribulation and are seen around the throne. Obviously they become saved or they would not be there.
Don, concerning aborted babies and those below the age of accountability who have died, do you believe they will be resurrected at the end of the millennium and granted eternal life? Or do you think they will have to make a conscious decision to believe in Christ etc. first? The question of where such people lie in God’s plan has often perplexed me.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Keygar,
Only God really knows. Even so, God is fair, and I do not think they are part of the Bride and I do not think they will be cast into the Lake of Fire.
There are only a few possibilities.
1. Some of them obtain grace and are members of the Church by reason of having believing parent
2. They live again in the flesh in the era when Satan is loosed after the millennial age
3. They get the opportunity to receive the knowledge of the righteousness of God to save them after death and some of them believe and are saved
4. They are all saved because they are blameless having never done evil. They would then either live for eternity in the Holy City or on the New Earth.
Thanks Don,
I believe you have presented four very possible scenarios, particularly 1/ and 2/.
I have sometimes thought they will somehow, somewhere and sometime be given the chance to accept Christ as their Lord or reject Him, and become part of the Bride.
But, this is speculation on my part.
I can only trust that God is fair and just in all things.
Regards.
Thanks Don for the article that will require more time for me to contemplate. The scripture I like to provide to people that state how can you believe in a god that sends people to hell that have never heard about Jesus is:
Romans 3:23-26–NASB
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Another scripture that mentions to those in the ground hearing Jesus is:
John 5:28-29
28 Do not be amazed at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come out: those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the bad deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
Don, is the scripture below speaking of those you are saying will not be thrown into the lake of fire but will live on the new earth?
Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
Hi Stephen,
Romans 3:23 says all are guilty. That is true, everyone needs the Savior God sent, but that does not mean everyone that does not get to hear the gospel in the age they live in gets cast in the Lake of Fire.
John obviously includes faith in Jesus as righteousness since believers put on His righteousness and our evil deeds are not accounted to us. With that in mind, those judged for evil deeds would then be those that never came to believe in the One paying the price for sin in the world.
Rev 22:14-15 is not to be taken in sequence as if it happens after the creation of the new heaven and earth. It is a general statement about what people need to do to receive eternal life and that some will not enter in. There will be no sinners on the New Earth. Sin will not exist in the new creation.
Thank you. An amazing study. I have never read anything which gives an explanation of these things so clearly.
I have one question with so many good people doing good works in this church age, how do you think they stand in relation to Christ’s salvation if they are not saved. Thanks.
Since those in other ages will be judge by their good works.
Hi Janice,
Nobody is good and nobody gets saved by their works. Those doing good works either still need to get saved or they are saved. Even non believers who love the world can do works that the world considers is good. As imagers of God, only works led by the Holy Spirit qualify as good works.
This age is unique because believers can become one with Christ and receive the Holy Spirit. That is not true in other ages. So obviously those born from above by the spirit would uniquely be doing many good works in this age.
People in other ages are not judged for salvation by their good works. People are saved in any age by trusting in God’s righteousness to save them. Their works display who they are of to others and to the angels. Good works for the right motive will be awarded, but salvation is not one of the rewards. Salvation is a gift of God to those that believe.
Thanks. Yes there is none righteous, no not one. It’s great to realise that the Lord will deal righteously with all. “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right”.
Thanks for the insights into God’s plan for all who have lived. It brings clarity to so many questions that arise in my mind. Wonderful. Thanks again.
The one thing I want people to ponder on is that all people will be evaluated according to their works. Nobody of any age is saved by them.
The scripture actually does not say that all those evaluated according to their works after the second resurrection will be cast into the Lake of Fire. That is a conclusion of some that makes no sense to me. Only those not in the Book of Life are cast into the Lake of Fire.
Thank you I hear all that you are saying.
People don’t get a second chance to live this life and that includes babies. That doctrine contradicts scripture and is pagan.
I am so thankful for your knowledge and indepth study of the Bible and now particularly on this subject. I have been so perplexed and even have agonized about people being sent there. This is a question that I have even talked to the Lord about. While I still realize how horrible it will be to go into eternity separated from God it relieves my mind to know people aren’t burning in flames for all of eternity in that fiery pit.
Hi Cheryl,
The Bride are believers born of the Holy Spirit since the time that Jesus paid the blood price and rose from the dead.
Jared
It contradicts scripture?? What scriptures are you referring to? Dead babies especially unborn babies did not have a chance to even live this life.
Thanks Don for clearing that up.
Amen, GOD is fair and just about children and people who for whatever reason did not hear the Gospel. I am more worried about the vast majority 6+ Billion souls alive today who as adults are indifferent to the Gospel and are not born again Christians and even more worried about a large percentage within ‘Christendom’ itself who do not live in holiness nor sincerely believe that Jesus is the only way
Don, what are your thoughts on Bill Wiese and his book 23 minutes in hell? For many years I thought he was a phony but not so sure now since he seems to saved and if he is a true believer I am not sure why he would make up such a story, knowing he is deceiving. Also is the lake of fire going to be seen by those in eternity with Christ? Isaiah 66:22-24
I do know we must go by the Word of God only, and not by people who write books on special new revelations and visions, dreams.
Hi Toby,
I do not read such books. Private revelation are not reliable. We have the Bible to teach us what we need to know. Even believers can be delusional or just want to fabricate stories to promote themselves or to sell books.
Isa 66:22-24 mentions the flesh so it talking about the millennial reign. There is no corrupted flesh after the new creation. We are told that there will be no sorrow in the eternal state, so I do not think we will be worrying about the Lake of Fire.
Toby , i used to think like you, how could a genuine believer make up stuff like that and present it to the ‘Body of Christ’ but after hearing too many ‘Prophets’ and Tv Preachers make up other non-biblical nonsense it appears that most of them are doing it to sell us something $ because there usually is a Book their pushing for $19.99
If propitiation is the appeasement of a holy and righteous God then such an appeasement must achieve the penalty laid down by that same Holy and Righteous God. Death is the wages of sin, so death must be carried out if the penalty is to be realised.
Did Jesus fulfil that penalty? If he did then the penalty has been met and mankind is freed from that penalty. If mankind has been redeemed from sins penalty, and if the only work that God permits is belief in the one whom he sent (John 6:29), then the works of Revelation 20:13 can only be the insufficient things of self.
Men who reject Christ and believe in their own merit will be condemned to the Lake of Fire on the basis of that insufficient merit.
Hi Brian GC,
I think you are trying to combine apples and oranges. Jesus paid for sin. Nobody is made righteous through their own merits. That is not the same as saying people cannot get awarded (apart from their salvation) by the good works they do. It also does not mean saved humans will not experience the death of their fallen bodies as the wages of sin. Jesus saves us through spirit regeneration not by changing the body of sin to become sinless.
Although those rejecting Christ are condemned and will be cast into the Lake of Fire. There are those who will come to believe apart from becoming members of the Bride. Mankind is only condemned because they will not believe in the righteous of God to save them. Those that will not trust in Him do so because they are not of God. They are of their father the Devil.
This is a very interesting topic that has so many sub topics in and of itself.
Don,
A few questions.
Are believers that die between the rapture and 2nd coming part of the bride or something else? It seems strange to me that much of the bride has to go through the tribulation in order to get in.
In the parable of the wheat and tares who exactly is the bad seed that Satan sows? Were these people always evil? Where did they come from? I think you could get into a long discussion of predestination here. If certain people were predestined for eternal life is the opposite true?
You do not believe those who die under the age of accountability are part of the bride? I don’t believe I’ve heard that before. What is your reasoning behind that and what role does this great multitude play then?
Hi Jim,
The Bible leaves a lot of gaps in information so we cannot be dogmatic about things that the Bible does not speak about.
I doubt if the tribulation saints are part of the Bride. While the bride is being prepared in heaven for her marriage to Jesus, the tribulation is playing out on earth to see who will be allowed to go into the kingdom when Jesus returns. I think these believers will be like the OT saints. Those believers that died in the tribulation will be resurrected and occupy the kingdom.
All we know about the tares and the sons of the evil one is what the Bible says. They were sown on earth by their father the Devil and they will not come to the knowledge of the truth to be saved. Any further speculation is stuff that denominations divide over after their speculations become dogma. The Bible says we are to preach the good news to everyone, not just those we think are the elect. Obviously it is very difficult or even impossible to predetermine who the elect are.
The Bride is people born of the spirit by faith in God’s Messiah. That kind of leaves out those who cannot think for themselves. I also have said it is possible that Children under the age of accountability share the same fate as a believing parent until they can make decisions for themselves. I would not be dogmatic about that either.
All I know is the Lake of Fire was not created for blameless people. The Catholics could not figure out where these children went so they created a place called Limbo. It was a place between heaven and hell. They recently did away with that teaching, but it just goes to show you that people cannot come to agreement on their end fate. I think they will occupy heaven because Jesus died for them as well, and they have not had any opportunity to reject Him. Even so, that does not mean they are part of the Bride.
Don,
I had the same opinion on those unable to believe regarding the rapture. I very much doubt that believing parents would be raptured and leave their young/mentally disabled kids behind to see judgement and likely death.
Hi Don,
Not sure why many oppose the doctrines of election and predestination but what are your thoughts on those who bring up John 3:16 “whosoever”, 2 Peter 3:9 “God not willing that any should perish” and other scriptures that may refer to man’s unhindered ability & “FREEWILL” to make a decision for Christ?
Hi Marco,
God created Adam with freewill. It is not His will that any descendants of Adam should perish. That is why He sent Jesus. The tares also may have freewill, but Satan will keep them deceived so that they will never believe in the path to salvation. All humans can believe and be saved, but only those predestined by the Father will actually hear the Gospel of Christ and believe.
Yes Don, but aren’t all of those predestined by the Father, due to His knowing the end from the beginning by foreknowledge. It is His will that all should be saved but He only predestined those that through free will chose to recognize their need for a messiah.
Anyone who thinks they know how predestination and free will work together in perfect synergy is mistaken. It might actually be impossible to fully understand for mortal humans. Extremely complex topic and a very intriguing one at that.
Hi Don
That’s only one way of looking at it. If God is all knowing and all powerful, He also foreknew who He will call to be saved apart from our choice.
This is not fully understandable with our limited minds. One way you might reconcile it, is that everything is working out just as God planned it from the beginning of creation. The whole seven thousand year timeline might be a demonstration to the Angels about how God calls out His Sons of light from the domain of the Devil, so that they can rule with Him, and even judge the fallen angels.
Hi,
Hopefully this is not too far off topic, but the last couple of comments triggered me to post as I have been thinking about the following for a while now, namely that of …
Genesis 1:1 – time space matter, and
Living beings that we cannot see, hear, smell, touch, measure.
So, we are inside the envelope of time/space/matter. The whole mars thing is such a waste, by feeble dead minds that miss the point. And then you have the CERN zealots thinking they might get to another dimension by subdividing particles. Sigh.
As for the times, it seems to me that events are playing out / determined far beyond mere mortals (but, then again, that has always been the case).
It seems that the above has a place in the discussion, if not the original post subject matter, but that’s all I can submit. I’ve been thinking about this. And then, as I read Deuteronomy 22:5, which is in stark contrast to all this nonsense about transgender and banning Dr. Zeus because of words like “he” and “she.” It’s so insane, I can’t see this not being driven beyond mere mortals.
Blessings, Craig
Don,
Do you believe women will have the same role as men in being “kings and priests” during the kingdom age? Women were not allowed in these roles in the past and even in this present age are restricted in various roles in the church. I wonder if all that is reversed in the future during the millennium and after. Never heard anyone bring this up before.
Hi Jim,
Sex is a earthly temporal thing. Everyone is the same in the resurrection. We are all transformed into the nature of Christ and the Angels in heaven. There is no male or female in the Body of Christ.
It is interesting how Satan is trying to change that now for us in the flesh. No male or female, gender neutral, 100 genders, transgenders, etc all from the minds of reprobate loonies. Satan behind it all. Yet in the future there really will be no gender as we live and reign with Christ.
What would Dr Seuss have to say about that? …. Just kidding!
Hi Don!
Thank you for this intriguing post, it has given me a lot to think about. Forgive me if I have mis-read what you are saying about the tribulation saints, but it seems to me that you think Rev 20:5-6 is relative to the Bride of Christ that was raptured before the tribulation? I have wondered about this myself before because of Rev 20:4
“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
I can see the Bride, made up of the Church Age Saints being described in the first sentence there, but it seems to include the Tribulation Saints in the second sentence there in the group of those that will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years.
Again, sorry if I misunderstood what you were saying in the post or in the comments, but can you help me understand what you are thinking in regards to how the Tribulation Saints fit into the equation? Thank you!
Hi J Carlson,
There is a lot we do not know.
The first resurrection has a couple of phases. Jesus rising from the dead was the first phase and those in Christ by betrothal to Him will rise in the second phase (the Rapture) when the Father says it is time to get His bride. After the tribulation events play out on earth there is the final phase of the first resurrection and the resurrection of the OT and Tribulation saints occurs.
It seems all the saints attaining the first resurrection become immortal beings and rule and reign with Christ for the thousand years to fulfill the final phase of the plan for mankind on earth. The Bride of Christ probably is just a minority subset of those risen immortal beings ruling and reigning with Christ.
The scripture does not say, and it is conjecture at best, but it could be the Bride of Christ actually dwells in the Holy City (where Jesus is now preparing a place for her to dwell in during the millennial reign – Joh 14:2-3). Of course she will have the ability to descend to the earth like do the angels to carry out her divine appointments with those on earth. On the other hand, those resurrected but are not in the Bride might primarily dwell among mortals on earth for those thousand years.
All roads lead to the judgement seat of Christ. I disagree with you on the bride of Christ and the folks who make up this body. Your premise is that believers will make up the bride of Christ? Then why are 5 of the believers stranded outside of the door after Christ closes it? They were believers, but had no oil.
Eternal life is defined in John 17:3- And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Eternal life is knowing God and whom he sent. Belief and knowing are two distinct and different perspectives. One is intimate knowledge the other means a basic understanding.
You were quite wrong before when you mentioned the tribulation was to take place already.
Klaus,
The five brides maids not taken are not members of the Church. Your problem is that you never learned to properly discern what Jesus taught in the Olivitte Discourse. This discourse about the end times is not about the Church it is about Israel. The Church has already been taken prior to those events for Israel playing out.
Paul said all in the Church would be taken. Your playing with words claiming that some confessing to be believers are not really believers contradicts dozens of scriptures that claim and demonstrate that humans are saved by believing in God’s righteousness and in the man He sent to take away the sins of the world.
You sir, are a liar. I never said the tribulation was to have taken place already. I have consistently taught that I believed the tribulation would have played out before the end of the 2030’s. I am not even dogmatic about that.
Don, Thank You for that last comment! Sometimes I just have to shake my head in wonder!
Don,
I guess this is as relevant a post as I could find. My question is that since Jesus was sinless, and the wages of sin is death, then does that mean Jesus while on earth was technically “immortal” in a sense (makes sense as He is God I suppose)? If He did not choose to die when He did He would have lived millenia as a human, yes? Interesting to ponder.
Hi Jim,
He came into the world to die when He did to defeat sin, so it is a moot point.